Friday, August 24, 2012

Grand Canyon of the East

You probably have heard of many tourist attractions in New York, but may have never heard of this one and it is every bit as thrilling if not more so than the man-made wonders found in New York. I don’t think it would be fair of me to just gush about the park and not show you what I saw so I have gathered some photos to share with you.

Doesn’t this look like a place that could be located just outside the Garden of Eden with its vibrant colors and cascading waterfalls? The name is clearly printed on the photo, so now you know we are touring Letchwork State Park. Thank you, Terry Cervi for sharing your beautiful photography.

Next time you think of New York, stop and think about the life and beauty that exists outside the hustle and bustle of city life.

We are about to take a hike along the rugged hillside to get a better view of the beautiful scenery. I hope you brought comfortable shoes and your camera. Are they in your back pack? If so we can wait a minute while you change.

Look at the many shades of leaves on the trees. The pink, golden, yellow, orange, red and even the green hues are just glorious! I hope you have lots of batteries for your camera and lots of time to explore. The park spans 14,350 acres and contains three large waterfalls and several small ones along the Genesee River. One of those falls, Inspiration Falls, is considered the highest waterfall located in New York State as well as within the entire Northeastern United States. It has earned its title with a drop of 350 feet or 107 meters.

This beautiful park is located 35 miles or 56 kilometers southwest of Rochester and 60 miles southwest of Buffalo. We owe gratitude to William Pryor Letchworth, an industrialist, for donating his 1,000 acre estate to New York in 1906, to William Webster who he hired to design the grounds in 1859 and to Dr. George F. Kunz who supported the library and memorial tirelessly. William Webster landscaped and worked on the now famous Glen Iris Inn.

Letchworth’s property forms the center of this magnificent park. Two and three lane roads from four different cities are maintained to lead you directly into the park and also afford you with an excellent scenic view of the wondrous sight. The cities are:

Mount Morris

Perry

Castile

Portageville

Letchworth is named one of the top 100 campgrounds in the U.S. and boasts many activities including:

Hiking (naturally)

Biking

Fishing

Hunting (in season only) for deer and wild turkey

Snowmobiling

Cross-country skiing

Whitewater rafting

Kayaking

Snow tubing

Riding on horse-drawn sleighs

Hot air ballooning

Dining

Swimming (two large swimming pools)

Camping

Sightseeing in the museum containing pioneer artifacts

Browsing one of the finest libraries ever created. The memorial built to Mary Jemison “The White Indian of the Genesee”

Thanks for going on the tour with me. I’m inspired and hope you are too.